Illinois volleyball coach secretly recorded minors in bathroom, prosecutors say

CAROL STREAM, Ill. -- A Carol Stream volleyball coach has been charged for allegedly secretly recording people, including children, using a public bathroom at a sports facility that his volleyball club uses.

A DuPage County judge set bond at $250,000 for Michael Liedtke, 34, owner of Xcel Athletics. The volleyball club operated at DuPage Training Academy, where police discovered a video camera hidden in a ceiling tile in the bathroom that was wired to a computer located in Liedtke's office, according to DuPage County prosecutors.

An inspection of Liedtke's computer turned up numerous images of patrons, including minors, as they used the bathroom, prosecutors said. Liedtke was also found to have images of child pornography on his cell phone.

Police told ABC7 Eyewitness News that the camera had been in place for "a very short time," but would not specify as to how long that was.

"The allegations against Mr. Liedtke are, in a word, sickening," said DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin. "He allegedly violated not only the privacy of patrons at the facility, but also the trust placed in him by the parents of the athletes he trained. The disgusting behavior alleged in this case will be met with the full force of the law."

Jeff Kramer, the owner of DuPage Training Academy, said none of his employees had any involvement and were in disbelief about what happened.

Kramer also said the bathroom ceiling is being replaced with drywall so nothing similar can ever happen again.

"We want people to understand that this is a place that we want kids to be and a safe place for kids to be," he said.

Liedtke turned himself in to the Carol Stream Police Department on Wednesday. If Liedtke is able to post bond, the judge has ordered him not to have any contact with children under the age of 18, according to prosecutors.

He is due back in court Feb. 28.